F80 M3 Competition or G20 M340i Xdrive

[nish_M240i]

Good day guys

It’s been a very long time since I’ve appeared on here to post but I hope everyone is doing well especially knowing it’s a Monday 🙃.

I have owned my M240i for nearly 3 years and I’ve done just over 25k on it since then. I have no intention of selling it, but recently without even trying to sell, I’ve had quite a few good offers for it, some of which are more than what I paid for it and also looking at the second hand market for them at the moment, I think there could be a good chance that I might just come out of it in the next month or so although I feel as if I can hold onto it forever. At the end of the day, everything unfortunately has a price that we can’t refuse.

If I do end up selling, I do have a few replacements in mind, starting with my top 2, the G20 M340i Xdrive and F80 M3 competition LCI.

Starting with the M340i, Apart from it being xdrive unlike the F80, the g series range is a massive step up in terms of interior and technology compared to that in the F80 M3. Owning the M240i has made me a sucker for the B58 engine and the M340i has the upgrade B58TU unit which could push me towards it. I have nothing against the S55 in the M3, but I just feel as if the B58 a better engine especially in terms of tuning. The M3 will probably be a little bit cheaper although the prices are relatively around the same for both, but my concern for the M3 is that it’s an older car, which means more maintenance the moment Motorplan expires (I stand to be corrected). The biggest difference though definitely has to be the fact that the F80 is a full on M car, while the M340i isn’t. In terms of styling, they both look really good, would think the F80 looks a bit more aggressive though but that comes down to personal preferences.

Then outside the BMW stable, It’s the brand new 8Y Audi RS3 sedan, but unfortunately Audi SA have not announced when it will launch here and prices are also unknown for that. I would look at a Supra but it’s just not practical enough for my everyday use. I also have thought of going back in time to something like an E92 M3 Competition or C63 507, however I think I’m a bit too late to the party knowing that both of these cars have risen in value out of nowhere.

So, coming back to the top 2 replacements (F80 and M340i). Should I get out of my M240i, which is the right way to go ?

 

[KarshS]

Sounds like you already know which is the right car lol

F80 purely on that sexy body, id buy one just to park in my garage to look at. Yes its an M car but that suspension would eventually get to you when you feel like having a relaxing drive and the ZF is more to my liking than the f80 DCT. I dont do track events to make use of the M package to be honest. F80 is old now and parts after plan will have that M tax on top of it.
Im in the same position as you when i eventually decide to trade up but the g20 is a better car for me personally. Im also kind of a massive fan on the M440, for me it will be a tossup against the m340 or the M440.

 

[Quick///M]

I came from an F82 M4 the move into the M340i was easy for me and the next logical decision as I still wanted power with the added benefit of 4 doors, do I miss the F82 M4 power ? No, not for day to day driving.

The M340i is easier to live with as a daily special stop start traffic.

The interior of the G20 is big plus it has a complete change and it feels like you sitting in something new and different.. M340i is feature packed with tech.

Ultimately they are 2 really different cars it all boils down to your needs

M340i and M440i are capable of running 12 seconds flat, averaging about 12.3ish on the 1/4 mile. Some have even done 0 to 100 in 3.7 seconds, average around 4 seconds to 4.3 seconds

 

[Nukleuz]

my Vote is for the c63 507. 🤪

 

[TurboLlew]

The M340 gets my vote in this case.

I don't think an M3 even in CS form is hardcore enough to be difficult to live with daily unless you're really used to something very luxurious (not vs. "real" track focused things at any rate). The DCT box is also part of the experience and definitely not bad to live with, even daily (I miss some of that with my F90 as good as the ZF is...) The reason the M340 gets the vote is not for comfort or daily use - but rather how it puts the power down in situations you will realistically be in (non-ideal road conditions, ordinary street tyres, ordinary fuel in the car) and the added tech.

The F80 M3 is the better car for the <1% of the time owning the car that you will be on track under great conditions and with great tyres on it (and I doubt you have the budget to run an M3 on track if you're worrying about maintenance and motorplan)... or where you are chasing a 5 star wanted level at much higher speeds.

Interestingly enough, I had no intention of selling my F10 but also was inundated with unsolicited interest (and it was almost a relief when this stopped) and it enabled me to buy something different. If you are getting offers like this and you have a solid plan to get into a solid car, then I would say go for it. I don't think this situation will necessarily continue in terms of the upward trend with 3 more interest rate hikes coming. However the market is what it is at this point and it won't get any cheaper to get into cars in the short term (my opinion).